BAILEY
,
Sir
JOSEPH
(
1783
-
1858
),
baronet, iron-master, landowner, and M.P.
,
was the elder son of
Joseph
(or
John
)
Bailey
of
Wakefield
, and
Susannah
, sister of
RichardCrawshay
(
1739
-
1810
), the famous
iron-master
of
Cyfarthfa
. When quite a young lad, he tramped the whole way from
Yorkshire
to seek his rich uncle at
Merthyr
. By hard work and perseverance he soon obtained a good grasp of the iron industry and coal-mining in all their branches. Later he was joined by his younger brother,
CrawshayBailey
, and both won the favour of their uncle, who, at his death (
1810
), left a quarter share of the
Cyfarthfa iron-works
to
Joseph
. The latter looked around for a suitable district where he could establish his own iron-works, as his cousin,
WilliamCrawshay
I
, was anxious to become the sole proprietor, and had appointed his son,
WilliamCrawshay
II
, as the
manager
, and neither welcomed so powerful a personality as
JosephBailey
either as
co-proprietor
or
co-manager
.

Joseph
sold his quarter share in
Cyfarthfa
in
Jan. 1813
for £20,000. Accompanied by
MatthewWayne
, an experienced
Cyfarthfaagent
, he bought the
Nant-y-glo works
(which had immense natural advantages, but which had been at a stop for many years) as from
25 March 1811
. They soon had the works restored, and before the end of the first year were loading their pig-iron into barges on the
Monmouthshire Canal
. Production increased year by year. Even during
1816
, the year after the end of the
Napoleonic wars
, when there was a general slump in iron manufacture, and acute unrest throughout the country caused by the high cost of wheat,
Nant-y-glo
was the only iron-works which actually increased its export. It is not known whether
CrawshayBailey
was assisting or not, but during
1820Wayne
transferred his interests in the works to
CrawshayBailey
. The two brothers soon made
Nant-y-glo
one of the great iron-works of the kingdom. By
1823
they had five blast furnaces in operation, and in
1826-7
added two more. They had also been fortunate to add the
Beaufort iron-works
to their
Nant-y-glo works
. This was obtained by agreement with
Messrs. Kendall and Co.
(
17 Jan. 1833
), possession being given (
25 March 1833
) for the sum of £45,000.
Joseph
's wife,
Maria
, daughter of
JosephLatham
of
Llangattock
,
Brecknock
(who had been
managing partner
in the
Beaufort iron-works
), d. at
Nant-y-glo
,
27 May 1827
.

Having amassed a large fortune,
Joseph
set about purchasing estates in
Brecknock
,
Radnorshire
,
Herefordshire
,
Glamorgan
, etc. Among them was that of
Glanusk Park
, where he lived for the rest of his life, having in
1830
retired from personal direction of the works. His brother
CrawshayBailey
now had the responsibility of management.

On
19 Aug. 1830Joseph
m., as his second wife,
Mary Ann
, daughter of
J. T. H.Hopper
of
Wilton Castle
,
co. Durham
. He was
high sheriff of Monmouthshire
(
1823
). On
8 Jan. 1835
he was elected
M.P.
for the
city of Worcester
, which he represented until he was returned (
2 Aug. 1847
) as member for the county of
Brecknock
. He was made a
baronet
in
1852
[and d.
20 Nov. 1858
].

His son,
JOSEPH
BAILEY
II
, was elected
M.P.
(
12 Dec. 1837
) for
Sudbury
,
Suffolk
, and in
1841
was returned for the
county of Hereford
, serving as
M.P.
until his death in
1850
.

JosephBailey
I
was succeeded in the
baronetcy
and the
Glanusk estates
by his grandson,
Sir
JOSEPH
RUSSELL
BAILEY
(
1840
-
1906
),
2nd baronet
, who was created
baron Glanusk
,
Jan. 1899
[he made important additions to the
History of Brecknock
(by
TheophilusJones
), and these were incorporated in the 3rd (
1909-30
) edition of that work]; he was succeeded by his son,
JOSEPH
HENRY
RUSSELL
BAILEY
(
1864
-
1928
),
2nd baron Glanusk
,
3rd baronet
[a
major
in the
Grenadier Guards
, and afterwards
lt.-col.3rd Batt. South Wales Borderers
; like his father, he was
lord-lieutenant of Brecknock
].